Chicago ROCKS!

We spent this past weekend in Nick's hometown of Chicago for his b-day! This is my third visit to Chicago . . . reconfirming just how this city ROCKS!

Here's me, Nick, Lizzie (Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee Official), and Jamie (Nick's sis and, officially, my best friend).

We took an awesome architectural boat tour, walked along the lake shore, visited mummies in the Field museum, and hung out at purple loving Northwestern. I LOVED IT ALL!

Mr. and Mrs. Chi enjoying a breath of fresh air in the Windy City.

There's one more in the gang...but he's reclusive.

Sears Tower! Notice the 4 stars on the Chicago flag. A fifth star will be added if Chicago wins its Olympic bid. Also notice the baby . . . there's always a baby around Nick.

RT SFO-HNL Holiday Tix for $354!

I just purchased my flights home to Hawaii for $354.74 round trip (requires a Kona layover). The average fare to Hawaii is around $800-1000+! YIKES! I was determined to find something cheaper and I did.

Airlines are over pricing their flights thereby lowering demand and increasing supply. So some airlines are reducing their fares. The best time to buy airfare is Monday morning through Thursday. Follow the steps below and I'll see you back home (12/17-1/6).

(1) Sign up at Mr.Rebates.com through the following link: http://www.mrrebates.com/?refid=122948

(2) In your Mr.Rebates.com account, search for Expedia.com to get a 2% rebate on your Expedia purchase.

(3) On Expedia.com, put in your travel dates, hit search, and then look in the "Flexible Dates" window.

(4) The deal out of SFO was on US Airways but operated by UAL...with a stop over in Kona (or Lihue). You should be able to find similar deals.

(5) Click on the Expedia credit card offer. Sign up for the free credit card and you'll receive a $50 statement credit (don't sign up for the other credit card which gives you a $100 statement credit but charges a $75 annual fee).
(6) Once approved, you'll get your credit card info instantly. I had trouble checking out with the credit card info (the expiration date was screwed up--try 12/2009)...but just call Citicard if there are any problems.

(7) Continue on and purchase your ticket with your new credit card!

So here's the break down of my fare:
(a) Gross Cost (incl. all taxes and fees): $413
(b) Mr.Rebates.com 2% rebate: -$8.26
(c) Expedia Citibank credit card statement credit: -$50
(d) Net Total: $354.74

Let me know if it works!

Airline Route Maps, Frequent Flyer & Baggage Fee Charts

Here are some useful travel tools, maps and charts to help you plan your trip. Use Airline Route Maps to find cheaper alternative destinations and secondary cities. Calculate Frequent Flyer Fees using this chart. Baggage fees suck so plan smart with the Baggage Fees chart.

Holiday Airfare Travel Tips

Holiday Airfare Travel Tips

Google Translate!!

Google Translate is the perfect travel tool to help you directly translate languages. All you'll need is an internet connection and some quick typing! Some languages translate better than others. For instance, I had to grammatically correct the English to Mandarin translation. According to my sources, however, the English to Spanish and English to Italian translations are better but in formal tone.

Italy for $399 (all inclusive)!

Eurofly flies between only NY and Italy and has a special all inclusive roundtrip deal to Italy for $399! Book by 9/12/08 and fly by October!

My Position Paper on Increasing SFO's Capacity

Here's a short position paper I wrote for SFO on increasing SFO's load capacity and improving operational efficiency.

I. Introduction

The Airport Commission’s current approaches to maximize airport efficiency may not necessarily keep pace with meeting the airport’s long-term capacity needs. According to the FAA’s 2007 Capacity Needs report, SFO will fall short of needed capacity by 2025 even after planned improvements are implemented.[1] Several factors constraining airport capacity include the financial and environmental costs associated with increasing SFO’s physical size.[2] The issue, therefore, is how to significantly increase SFO’s capacity without physically increasing the airport size.

This paper explores several methods to increase SFO’s capacity based on technologically, financially, and logistically grounded solutions.


II. Technology Based Solutions

The implementation of new aviation technology to maximize both air and ground traffic efficiency will increase overall airport capacity. The on-going advances in aviation technology, such as FAA’s next-generation air transportation system (“NextGen”), has the potential of maximizing air-side capacity by “reduc[ing] the separation between aircraft and permit more efficient routing of planes.”[3] For example, a wake turbulence management system reduces the in-trail and vertical spacing between aircrafts to increase overall air-side capacity while ensuring safety from wake turbulence. Studies have shown that a one mile reduction of aircraft spacing can boost runway capacity by 20 percent.[4] Wake turbulence management will also allow SFO to more efficiently use its parallel runways.

Technology can also be harnessed to maximize ground traffic efficiency. The Surface Area Movement Management system (“SAMM”) increases land-side efficiency and air-side capacity by coordinating ground traffic “to minimize distances, hold times, and separation between aircraft.”[5] The Total Airport Management system (“TAMS”), which is currently used at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, increases operational efficiency by connecting ground support, aircraft suppliers, and air traffic control through an integrated computer system.[6] The free flow of electronic information and instant communication between various airport facilities increases overall capacity through operational efficiency.[7]

A combination of NextGen, a wake turbulence management system, SAMM and TAMS has the potential to optimally increase SFO’s overall air-side and land-side capacity.


III. Financially Based Solutions

To complement SFO’s current practice of congestion pricing, the Airport commission should also consider discounting landing and departure fees for off-peak hours. Offering discounted landing and departure fees during off-peak hours may further induce some aircraft operators, such as operators of cargo and private planes, to use SFO during off-peak hours. A combination of congestion and discount pricing, therefore, has the potential to increase SFO’s operational capacity in two ways.

First, such market-based landing and departure fees, as determined by demand and other market forces, are more effective than weight-based fees because it offers aircraft operators a financial incentive to increase load capacity to maximize per passenger revenue during peak hour usage.[8] Second, the financial incentive will also induce aircraft operators to favor airport use during off-peak hours. Thus, aircraft operators may want to shift some or all of their operations to off-peak hours. Perhaps the long-term goal is to make each hour at SFO a peak hour of operation in terms of optimal load capacity and maximized frequency of arrivals and landings. This goal will allow SFO to achieve optimal capacity.


IV. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The coordination of technologically and financially based solutions across Bay Area airports will ultimately increase SFO’s capacity through the following recommendations. First, integrating advanced aviation technology throughout Bay Area airports will optimize shared airspace and thereby increase air-side and land-side efficiency at each airport. Second, Bay Area airports should coordinate and standardize congestion and discount pricing in order to maximize pricing utility.[9] For example, if only SFO implemented congestion then aircraft operators would simply divert their operations to SJC and OAK. However, congestion in the shared airspace will remain. A unified pricing system throughout the Bay Area airports will maximize the current and proposed pricing options.

A final consideration is to link SFO and OAK with a non-stop express BART on the existing rail system. This proposal requires connecting OAK’s terminal to BART. The system trims regional and smaller aircraft service into SFO by redirecting those passengers into OAK. This allows SFO to focus on higher capacity aircraft which directly increases SFO’s capacity.


V. CONCLUSION

A combination of technologically, financially, and logistically based solutions across the Bay Area airports will ultimately increase SFO’s air-side and land-side capacity.

References:
[1] The Mitre Corporation, Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System, 2007-2025 (Washington, D.C.: Federal Aviation Administration, May 2007).
[2] Marisa Lagos, A place to land: FAA study says Bay Area airports must expand to meet demand, S.F. Chron., May 16, 2007, available at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/16/BUGVAPRFU31.DTL&%20hw=San+Francisco+International+Airport+expansion&sn=001&sc=1000.
[3] Viggo Butler, Increasing Airport Capacity without Increasing Airport Size, p. 2 (Reason Foundation, Policy Study 368, 2008), available at http://www.reason.org/ps368.pdf.
[4] Butler, p. 16-17.
[5] Id. at p. 14.
[6] Kuala Lumpur International Airport, http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?WebsiteId= 13&ch=1&pg=23&ac=9 (last visited April 20, 2008).
[7] Dr. Henning Harmann, Final Report of Preliminary Study Total Airport Management, p.21-22 (Institute of Flight Guidance, Nov. 2001) available at: http://www.eurocontrol.int/care-innov/public/standard_page/studies 2001_dlr.html.
[8] See Robert W. Poole, Jr. and Ben Dachis, New York Airport Pricing: Frequently Asked Questions, (Reason Foundation, Policy Study 266, 2008).
[9] Id. at p. 1.

Bid for JetBlue flights on eBay!

JetBlue is on eBay! JetBlue has put up last minute deals with no reserve auction on their eBay store.

Santiago, Chile

Overall Impression: Super Catholic and conservative (divorce law only passed in 2004) produces a city of awkwardly shy people who enjoy strange public displays of affection everywhere to an uncomfortable degree. Apparently the kids don’t live on their own until they get married, so the only alternative for them to explore is out on city streets and behind bushes in the parks. I called out a few with some “woohoos” and “oh yea!”

I think Chileans are confident people especially with their strong economy backed by China, their largest trading partner. Thus, the customs officials were not too polite with us Americans and we even had to pay a ridiculous US $131 reciprocity fee upon arrival. It’s not a visa, but a penalty tax because the US charges a visa fee for visiting Chileans. The city itself is beautifully nestled within the Andes.


I think all the sights worth visiting in this topographically diverse country is outside the city and in the rural and natural areas (Patagonia, Easter Island, and the deserts up North). The subway system is clean, cheap and fast! People not so friendly.

Cheap v.s. Crack Cheap:
Again, it’s not crack cheap and slightly more expensive than Buenos Aires.

Hotels were expensive. We stayed at the Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center which was right on the freeway and near everything, but it was too loud! Avoid at all cost. Our initial hotel room (US $173/night) was cramped and overheated and the staff unresponsive. Alas, I pushed our way to a free upgrade to their suite and a refund of one night so the stay redeemed itself. Apparently the Santiago Ritz Carlton is the cheapest Ritz Carlton in the world at US $345/night. Stay there instead!!

Exchange Rate: Divide by 500 (or remove both the single and double digits and divide by 5 = US $1).

Gastronomy: I read a great article about how Chilean food is subtle because Chile never had slaves like Peru or Mexico—where the food is more expressive with dashes of chili and the Afro-cultures. That seems like a plausible hypothesis. In translation, this means that the food is less salty and plainer than what you’d expect from an exciting Peruvian chicken stew dish!


Interestingly, there are different layers of what can be considered Chilean food. There’s the street food in which hot dogs are slathered in guacamole, the international hybrid food developed in hotel restaurants, the everyday home cooked meals, and the indigenous foods away from the city. These are at once all Chilean. In short, if you’re looking for a distinct Chilean dish, you’ll have to look beyond set courses and indulge yourself in the non-identity of a Chilean dish.

Check out the café with legs! A Hooter's and Starbucks crossover!

Neighborhoods & Culture Spots:
We hit up most of the museums and parks including the neoclassical Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museum of Precolombian Civilization and the National History Museum (next to the beautiful post office in Plaza De Armas.


The Presidential Palace (Palacio De La Moneda) is pretty and was once a mint and you can walk through the courtyard. It’s opened from 10-6 p.m. on the weekends so bring your passport.


We also walked through the Barrio Brasil filled with younger people, but avoid Barrio Bellavista a major and expensive tourist trap.


Take a ride up the Funicular and the Cable Cars to catch stunning views of the Virgin Mary looking down on the city of Santiago and the Andes. You can actually hear the roar of the city of a couple million! Another fun sight is a hill with beautiful views somewhere in the city (can’t remember the name). Skip the fish market Mercado Central, but check out the National Library (no books to be found)!

Uruguay

Cities Visited: Montevideo, Carmelo, and Colonial Del Sacramento

Overall Impression: Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, is rated as the best city to live in South America by some poll. I wonder, however, who was interviewed and how much they got paid. A 3 hour boat ride away, Montevideo is a smaller and quieter version of Buenos Aires. Many beautiful buildings are dilapidated and it seems as if the city just survived WWII. I still prefer Phnom Penh, Cambodia over Montevideo.

Look for school children dressed in little lab coats--school uniforms that symbolize intelligence and education. Old folks here are also really well dressed. Bravo!

Cheap v.s. Crack Cheap:
Again, not crack cheap; only slightly cheaper for hotels and snacks than in the U.S. I’ve experienced better meal deals in SF, NYC and Chicago! I think eating out is still a luxury so they charge more. There’s also the irritating meal linen fee (usually US $2-3 to pay for the linens and dish use).

A crack cheap deal is staying at the Four Seasons Resort in Carmelo, Uruguay. Think of it as a destination in itself since when can you stay at a Four Seasons for only US $190 (that’s about $100 per person per night)! Within one night we made friends with half the staff including Claudia, her husband, Norm, Mike, Sally, Bob, Pedro, and Steve. The bungalows are huge with an outdoor shower! Yes, I took an outdoor shower! You can also tour their Estancion for free.

We took a mate lesson (the national drink of Uruguay) before learning about the various birds and veggies that grow on the ranch. Later on that night, I ate Uruguay’s national bird, the nandu. It was spicy and delicious! Look for the rack rate on their website valid for stays between Sunday-Thursday. Carmelo is a town about 4 hours north from Montevideo by bus. Since the resort is rurally located, the hotel makes its money by gauging you at their restaurants. We also took in some spa services and rode horses through eucalyptus forests and along the Rio Del La Plata.

Exchange Rate: Take away the single digit numerator and divide the remainder by 2.

Gastronomy:
A total miss. The national dish of Uruguay is called the Chivitas which is steak and eggs on a bed of salad and fries.

Neighborhoods, Towns & Culture Spots:
The highlight here was biking along the riverfront and hitting up all the beaches. We rented bikes from Bicileteria Sur located at Aquiles Lanza 1100 (tel: 901-07-92) for about US $1-2 an hour. Visit the Old town, adjacent to a bad part of town, for some cobblestone roads and boutique gift stores.

You can also visit the underground tomb of some war hero in the Independence Plaza. Located nearby is a building which was once the tallest in all of South America! On the day we decided to hit up some museums, there was a national strike. We ended up visiting the Gurvich Museum showcasing the work of famed Lithuanian-Uruguayan artist Jose Gurvich. http://www.museogurvich.org/.
A quick ride away from Buenos Aires on the Buquebus is the small town of Colonial Del Sacramento. I visited this place twice, once with Nick when it was rainy and once with Jamie when it was sunny. The weather makes all the difference, so make sure you go when it’s sunny. Although touristy, this small historic town was once built by the Portuguese and then taken over by the Spaniards so a lot of history remains.

One day museums pass costs US $2 and can get you in to whatever museums they decide to open. The museums are lacking, but can give you a brief introduction to the history. Climb up to the lighthouse tower and eat at all the cute, but expensive cafes and restaurants!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Overall Impression:
Coated with air pollution and saturated with noise pollution, Buenos Aires is just like any other large metropolitan city in the world. Despite omnipresent dog poop and the incessantly loud sounds of a large city, one can still admire the rich architectural gems and cultural spots that keep this city afloat.

I was disappointed in the lack of indigenous cultural experiences. The political history is also not as exciting and complicated as in Southeast Asia or even Cuba. Furthermore, don’t expect too much in terms of gastronomical delights here! Apparently only Peru and Brazil are known for their food in South America.

If you have more time, check out rural tourism where you can live on farms or ranches called Estancions and enjoy horseback riding and traditional meals! The people are friendly!

Cheap v.s. Crack Cheap:
If you’re thinking you’ll get a real good deal like you’re used to in Thailand or India, forget it! It’s a better deal than what you’ll find in Europe, but that’s about it! I found better lunch deals in SF than here!

Hotels are where you’ll save money. We stayed at the Moreno Hotel for about $100 a night for a huge and beautiful room. It has a rooftop terrace, free internet, and complimentary breakfast. It’s in San Telmo near the Presidential Palace, new financial district, and the metro so walking to places is a breeze! A very good deal! http://www.morenobuenosaires.com.

For the first few days, we stayed at Rooney’s Boutique Hotel in downtown. Beautifully appointed with antiques and rather cheap (we got the 3 nights for the price of 2 at around $100 a night), it comes with better breakfast than Moreno, but no sleep! The insulation is poor and the nightlife is out of control. We had earplugs in but were still awaken by the banging of pots, pans, and street signs. There was even a protest! The female employees were great, the male employees (both of them—Jose and Scar Face) were incompetent. Avoid at all cost: http://www.rooneysboutiquehotel.com/ingles/hotel.html.

Exchange Rate:
Divide everything by 3. So Food is about 1/3 the cost you’ll find in the States.

Gastronomy:
Argentines eat dinner between 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Restaurants are often packed between this time so plan accordingly. Clubbing begins closer to 2 a.m. and then people skip breakfast just in time to go back to work or eat a later lunch at 1:30 p.m. There are no siestas (as there are in Spain) so stores are still open in the afternoon to evening hours. Empanadas are the national snack and are similar in design to the American “hot pocket.” Empanadas, however, taste much better and are filled with a variety of cheeses, meats, and veggies.

Casa SaltShaker is just one of the latest home-restaurant crazes to hit Buenos Aires. Here’s the story: I was in the middle of a remote town in Uruguay and an old Georgetown classmate heard my voice. She immediately pinpointed me and shouted my name! Later that evening back in Buenos Aires, I joined her and a few others at a dinner party. This New York sommelier left the big apple for Buenos Aires where he started this home restaurant. Available only during the weekends, he cooks up dishes around a theme for the weekend usually celebrating some holiday or historic figure. The night we dined, we enjoyed Romanian food in celebration of Romania’s independence.

The food was okay and I even got a little indigestion, but the wine pairing made up for it. The owner, Dan (mini-me look alike), was also reserved, distant, cold and his behavior made for some uncomfortable silences. The guests made up for what was lacking. http://www.casasaltshaker.com/indexen.htm. Newspaper articles from around the country (including Lonely Planet’s review): http://www.casasaltshaker.com/press.htm.

Defensa al Sur is a cute upscale restaurant in San Telmo serving up fine Argentine dishes with attention to presentation and detail. I had a chili smeared baked chicken dish that was out of this world. Along with a bottle of Malbec, two salads, two entrees, and tip, the total cost was US $50. www.defensaalsur.com.ar. Located on Defensa 1338 just before Ave. 25 De Mayo.

For great Northwestern Argentine cuisine which consists of more stews, visit La Carreteria. The décor is bright and refreshing and they serve up a variety of delicious homemade empanadas. We also ate guiso huashchalocro and milanesa . . . a corn dish and a stew. Also try the lentejas (stew) and locro (soup). Along with a pitcher of vino la casa (house wine served in a pinguino—the national penguin shaped wine pitcher), two salads, two entrees, several empanadas, and tip, the total cost was US $35. They have a lunch special for US $10 which includes an entrée, drink, and café. Located at 656 Brasil between Chacabuco and Peru in San Telmo.

If you’ve worked up an appetite from a day out in the city, pig out at La Bistecca, an Argentine buffet located on the water in Puerto Madero. Located on Ave. Alicia Moreu De Justo between Carlos Calvo and Humberto Iro at the southeastern end of Puerto Madero.

For an Argentine spin on classic French dishes check out Petanque located in San Telmo on Defensa 596 and Mexico. www.brasseriepetanque.com.

Neighborhoods & Culture Spots:
San Telmo hosts the famous Sunday flea markets where Ave. Defensa is blocked off for nearly a mile and where antique vendors, tango dancers, and other interesting arts and crafts are displayed for your viewing and shopping pleasure. I stayed in the Moreno Hotel located just one block from the start of the market so I was able to really learn about San Telmo.

The restaurants are also amazing and the streets cleaner and quieter than in the central districts. The must see El Zanjon is a happy discovery made by Nick and me here in San Telmo. The owners planned to build a restaurant here until they discovered historical ruins under a 19th century building. This living museum consists of tunnels, old walls, water wells, sewage pits, and other artifacts in what many historians consider the site of the first settlement of Buenos Aires in 1536! Located at Defensa 755. Check out the Old Drugstore between Pichincha and Moreno.

Argentina’s White House is actually pink. Go visit the Presidential Palace and the adjoining Presidential Palace Museum (bring an ID). There's a lowering of the flag show in the afternoon. Security is again very loose. The nearby Cathedral and other buildings are beautiful!

Recoleta seems to be the talk of the town with its amazing historic streets and shopping. But the only site I found truly impressive here was the Recoleta Cemetery where we visited Eva Peron’s grave. The cemetery consists of beautiful mausoleums built out of marble and adorned with gold and other jewels. Jamie and I broke into an unlocked grave and accidentally broke the door frame!! You can see coffins on the main floor, and family members are buried in lower floors as well. Fascinating!

Visit the National Fine Arts Museum (Bella Artes) nearby. Some impressive pieces of European and Latin American art, although one can imagine how easily it would to steal the Picasso hanging just a few feet from the entrance with hardly any security!

La Boca is the Waikiki of Buenos Aires, but worth hitting up at least once. We walked there which is not suggested because we crossed over some of the most dangerous streets in the city!! Enjoy tango dances while sipping your café con leche, and take in all the colorfully painted metal shacks.

Puerto Madero is where you’ll find fresh new buildings and a dozen upscale restaurants. A visit here will put you back somewhere in the U.S. so you may want to keep it short. However, a night stroll along the waterfront is refreshing after a hectic and polluted day in the city.

We happily discovered Embassy Row near Palermo and the zoo. The streets were wide and the homes beautiful! This neighborhood reminds me of a smaller version of DC’s embassy row. Not sure of the cross streets, but it’s where the Embassies of Portugal, Uruguay, and Greece and a few others have their residences. Near the Malba Museum (of Modern Art) on the way towards Jardin Japones (Japanese Garden) which was not so peaceful since a noisy domestic airport was located just a few feet away!

Centro has the widest street in the world, Avenue 9 De Julio and an obelisk along with a variety of shopping and people watching on Florida and Lavalle.

Palermo, including Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Viejo do not live up to their reputations. What’s all the hype about it being like NY’s SOHO? It’s dirty, predictable, and no where near SOHO or even SF’s SOMA for that matter. Where are all the restaurants that serve Argentine food? Where are the art and craft stores?

There’s a paper store here called Papelera that sells sheets of homemade paper for US $10. Toilet paper is worth more than stepping into this hidden mine trap! I am disappointed in all the guidebooks that tell you this is a go to place to take in the cobblestone roads, etc . . . Have these authors been to Georgetown? Skip it even if you have the time!

Other Spots:
Visit these other sites that we couldn’t visit: Palace of Running Water (1950 Cordoba Ave); Palacio Paz which was the biggest private residence in town. Guided tours in English Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Ave. Santa Fe 750. Here's a picture of the National Congress.

Viva La Boca Dancing!